BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” marks the first-ever fully animated Looney Tunes feature-length movie created for release in theaters. There have been some theatrical movies over the years featuring Bugs Bunny and his wacky friends but those off erings were cobbled together from cartoons that had been released on TV or separately. There also have been several theatrical releases featuring the “Looney Tunes” gang including the “Space Jam” movie and “Looney Tunes Back in Action.” The difference is that each one of those animated movies was a hybrid that mixed the cartoon characters with real people. Sonya Cassidy needed right accent for ‘Reacher’ role “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” uses no such gimmick. It is 100% new using a very traditional approach to tell the story. In a world where computer-generated approaches have become the norm, this zany and looney nod to a nostalgic past is pure 2D animation. This style features a chaotic kind of action and explosive color palette made productions from Warner Bros. so much fun over the years. This appreciation for the animation format that was the bread-and-butter for Warner Bros. for decades comes from writer and novice director Peter Browngardt. He came to the project having been the executive producer of the award-winning series “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” which ran six seasons on the streaming service Max. That gave him a background to make this film a proper nod to the studio’s cartoon history. This cartoon creation features Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (both voiced by Eric Bauza) as we see them go from infants to reluctant world-saving heroes. They are forced to save the world when The Invader (voiced by Peter MacNicol) creates panic when he uses alien-infused gum to turn the population into mindless followers. Porky gets a little distracted from the mission when he meets the nerdish Petunia Pig (Candi Milo). While he is losing his heart, Porky must constantly intervene to stop the unintentional destruction Daffy leaves in his wake. The question is whether they can listen to the advice of their surrogate father – Farmer Jim (Fred Tatasciore) – when he tells them they can survive anything as long as they work together. ‘F Marry Kill’ blends multiple film genres in killer way While the animation is first rate, what leaps out as the biggest flaw of the movie is the writing. There are 11 writers given credit for putting together a script that starts at a simple level and never rises above schoolyard humor. Rest assured that while you can count on a few bawdy jokes, they are not blatant enough to keep youngsters from going. When your jokes are Daffy asking Porky “Are you stinking what I am stinking?” it is obvious no major brain cells died in the writers’ room. This kind of film calls for a very basic story but there are moments when it is nearly as bland as it can get. What saves it is the animation that often bounces from classic Warner Bros. to retro Art Deco. There are even a couple of places where the real and animated come together. There isn’t enough to bump this out of the pure animation form. Those of a certain age will get the joke that the film about gum being used to conquer the world uses a tune from the Bubble Gum music genre. “Chewy Chewy” (a perfect fit for the film) was a bouncy tune originally released by the Ohio Express in 1969. Other familiar tunes include “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M. and the Bryan Adams song “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You.” The soundtrack has the same energy as the animation. Michael Cusack’s ‘YOLO’ crushes boundaries “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” is fun that has been condensed down into a goofy gel. It will create some cartoon flashbacks for adults while feeding the frenzied approach needed to keep young moviegoers entertained. The best that can be said is “that’s all folks” with this history making film. Movie review The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie Grade: B Cast: Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol Director: Peter Browngardt Rated: PG for cartoon violence, rude humor Running time: 91 minutes ...read more read less